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James Mackintosh Qwilleran
Background & Family Jim Qwilleran is the main human character in the books. He was born Merlin James Qwilleran, a fact explained by his mother (in a letter to Francesca Klingenschoen) as a product of reading King Arthur during her pregnancy. His father, Dana, was a talented theater actor who toured the country. When he met Qwill’s mother, Anne Mackintosh, they chose to stay in Chicago, so he could not stay in his theater group. Qwill’s grandparents strongly disapproved of this relationship, and broke off all contact with his mother; Dana, deprived of work opportunities because of the economic depression, fell into evil ways and was eventually shot dead while attempting burglary. Because of this, Qwill never knew any family other than his mother. But he does remember his mother’s friend Francesca Klingenschoen, known to Qwilleran as Aunt Fanny. Early Life & Military Service He grew up with Arch Riker, who would be his lifelong friend, and with a love of literature. He was very smart at school, won many spelling bees and was always very fond of language and baseball. One of his English teachers was particularly influential, cultivating his ability to compose an interesting essay on any topic. When he was seventeen, his girlfriend, Joy Wheatley (she later returns in The Cat Who Saw Red) left to "find herself" and Qwill joined the service. It is never explicitly stated which war he fought in, but it is likely that he served during Operation Torch during World War II, since several times throughout the series he uses a curse he learned while in North Africa. He came out of it with an injured knee and so could not have the career in baseball he always desired. So he went to college, participated in some acting, but found it was journalism for which he had a natural knack. Marriage, Break Up, Alcoholic Addiction & Recovery In this light he decided to become a journalist, and encountered great success in this field. He primarily reported on crime for major newspapers, and even wrote a book, "City of Brotherly Crime" (claimed to be a best-seller), and won many awards. He then married Miriam, an advertising executive who resembled Joy. But the marriage was bad and ended in a shattering divorce that left Miriam in an insane asylum and Qwill feeling depressed and guilty. This led him to become an alcoholic and lose his job. One night while drunk, he fell into the path of a subway train and was rescued just in time. This brought him back to reality and he got help. After resolving never to touch alcohol again, he was virtually broke. Qwill went to "the city" (no name is given, but it is most likely in the Great Lakes area, probably Detroit based on Lilian's residence and its two newspapers that are delivered throughout the state) to get a job at "The Daily Fluxion." The books continue the story from this point. Relocation to Moose County One summer, he and his cats go for a quiet retreat, vacationing in the north woods, and visit Aunt Fanny on the way. Soon after, Aunt Fanny dies, and Qwill is surprised to learn that her will leaves the vast Klingenschoen fortune to him—provided he lives in Moose County for the next 5 years. So Qwilleran moves to Moose County ("400 miles north of everywhere") in the northern part of the state, and the next few books record this adjustment—for him, and his cats. Despite the initial culture shock of small-town life, Qwilleran makes friends and, after determining that being a billionaire is a nuisance, establishes the Klingenschoen Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to improving life in Moose County and surrounds. After a while, his life settles into a yearly pattern. He spends springs and autumns at the four-story apple barn he'd had converted into a residence; he spends summers at a cabin on the shore of one of the Great Lakes; and he spends his winters in a condo development, as the barn is impractical to live in during the winter, being four stories of open interior space and therefore impossible to heat evenly. Appearance Qwilleran (Qwill to his friends amd Mr. Q to Moose County people) is a man who goes from late forties to mid fifties over the course of the series. He's six feet, two inches tall, with dark brooding eyes and salt-and-pepper hair (he claims that it's mostly pepper). He is slightly overweight in the early books, but loses some weight over the course of the series. He is often described as looking melancholy or brooding, but he is witty and enjoyable company. His most distinguishing feature is his "luxurious moustache," which is considered attractive by many women, and Polly Duncan describes it as being similar to the composer Edward MacDowell’s. (Elsewhere it is compared to those of Mark Twain - who is alleged to have visited Moose County in 1895 - and Charles Rennie Mackintosh.) However, his moustache is more than mere facial hair. Whenever Qwilleran gets a suspicion that something is wrong or his instincts are right, he will get "a tingling sensation on his upper lip." Depending upon the strength of the sensation, he may be seen "stroking it with his fingertips" to "pounding mustache with his knuckles". Qwilleran has a willingness to listen, which is described as part curiosity and part professional interest. He also has a strong desire to investigate things that are not his business and could endanger him, and these investigations make up the plot of the various books. He gets on well with most people, but generally prefers to avoid children. Although he is a former alcoholic, he appears to have his condition well in hand, to the point that he can keep alcohol at home to serve to the people he entertains. Due to the disastrous nature of his former marriage, he has no inclination to remarry, despite his strong feelings for Polly Duncan. Despite his immense inherited fortune, he is far from extravagant, and uses the vast majority of his money for philanthropy or civic projects.